Just ranting

[GojiraSteve]

.243 mate.

It's the closest thing to an all rounder you can get and still find cheap factory ammo anywhere. You'll fall short (legally) for Sambar in Vic, but solving that problem with a 7mm-08 will make ammo marginally harder to find and certainly more expensive plus arguably leaving you overgunned for small stuff at least with factory ammo.

I bought a .223 as my first centrefire with exactly the same "shoot all day and not go broke" mindset, and wished I'd gone the .243 ever since. It's not that much more expensive but exponentially more versatile.

[in2anity]

I bought a .223 as my first centrefire with exactly the same "shoot all day and not go broke" mindset, and wished I'd gone the .243 ever since.

Why is that? Because of the deer-shooting legalities of the 223? Or are you generally not happy with the performance of the 223?

[GojiraSteve]

I bought a .223 as my first centrefire with exactly the same "shoot all day and not go broke" mindset, and wished I'd gone the .243 ever since.

Why is that? Because of the deer-shooting legalities of the 223? Or are you generally not happy with the performance of the 223?

Performance in a roundabout way. I found myself initially getting more hunting opportunities to chase deer and pigs than anything else, and being new at the game I took other peoples advice that the .223 simply wasn't enough gun. So in fairness its not that I was unhappy with its performance based on a wealth of actual experience, but I did end up buying a .308 pretty quickly and using it WAY more often.

Had I kicked off with a .243 it would've been perfectly adequate/acceptable to the more experienced blokes I was shooting with.

Flash forward 9 years from then after getting out of the sport and just now getting back in, and a .243 will definitely be the first CF to hit the safe.

[PaddyT]

Gunna say it , cause it needs to be said- 6.5 manbun,

[CrackThump]

Wheres that emoji-con thing when the head explodes. ?? hahaha..

Thanks for the input guys.. Im no closer to making a decision but I wanted to say thanks for pointing out something I have been overlooking, the fact that yeah, this ISNT going to be my only centrefire and it only takes 28 days to apply for another one.... soooo maybe .223 after all. - to start with

I HATE the fact that y'all can talk me into buying something Id effectively talked myself out of.. but feck it, it DOES make sense..

and for the few questions I noticed throughout the thread..

1. I dont plan on reloading at this stage, I just cant justify the outlay... not yet

2. those nice gentlemen that mentioned making my cherrypopper a 303. .. *wipes away some chin drool* have you SEEN the prices of a decent SMLE these days. ? oh HELL no... besides, it would only end up being a safequeen or something to svare the grandkids with one day.


Its times like this Im glad I went all out for the 16 gun safe instead of the 5gun bunnings special hahaha

Peace out Yo..

[gunnnie]

Hey Digger, feel your pain mate, been there.
Mate, there's been plenty of good advise to date & yes it can be a minefield but it doesn't need to be. You've already got two of the better shooting realms covered - 22 & 12ga.
Now, you want to cover that middle ground with surety of effectively taking a deer when needed. Personally, I'm not a fan of the 243, no significant reason, just believe there's better options. For example - 250Savage.

This cartridge is no mega-screaming powder burner, but it performs. Now, without the nahsayers crowing in, here's my reasoning.
1. Its a small capacity cart that has good ballistics,
2. efficient powder to velocity ratio &
3. is easy to reload for.

You can run pills from 75 to 120gn though it produces best results with the 85-100gn range. There is a wide range of 25cal pills to choose from that allow for varminting through to thin skinned game and medium game such as fallow & red deer.

The downside being -
1. Choice of rifles in this chambering, &
2. Availability of brass.

It's likely it would have to be a custom order for a new rifle. As for second hand, they turn up every now & then. It would be a rifle/chambering with a difference that will impress.

If that doesn't float your boat, then maybe a 6.5Creedmoor. Again, a reloaders delight with a wide range of pills that will cover rabbits to deer & bigger. Plus now readily available in a wide range of brands & budgets.

[snag]

Seriously, look hard at a .25-06. Everything from rabbits to red deer, the most versatile calibre for Australian game.

[bigpete]

If you can't get a decent lee enfiekd spotter for under 500 you're not looking hard enough